Whenever digital dreamers turn their imaginations to the future, one thing always comes up: sharing. The benefits of sharing data are obvious. The insight that can be gleaned from comparing large statistical datasets is invaluable. It can give leaders knowledge that can help to shape strategic thinking, improve efficiency and help to spot business opportunities.

Local authorties store millions of rows of data, much of it personal data about citizens, their names and addresses, where they go to school, when their bins are collected, when their council taxes are paid. The devolution initiatives will require local authorities to share vast amounts of citizen data to ensure smooth continuation of services and payment.